April 30, 2008

Trader Joe's Trail of Tears



I miss Trader Joe's.

Big time.

This thought occurred to me as I was standing in the kitchen a few minutes ago munching on a piece of toast I had slathered with Whole Foods' 365 blueberry jam.

My train of thought went something like this...

"Huh, I'm almost out of my jam. Too bad I have to drive to a Whole Foods in Denver to get it. What else would I need from Whole Foods? Ah, forget it. Whole Foods plus gas money down would cost a fortune! If only there were a Trader Joe's...I would make special trips to Denver for a TJ's. I wonder if the CEO is contemplating the email I sent suggesting a TJ's in Colorado? Do they not realize what they're missing out on here?! I mean, Colorado is the very definition of a TJ's location. Maybe I'll tell him again. I think I'll blog about this..."

And here I am.

If you have never been to a Trader Joe's you have not lived. Ok, that's a bit much, but it is amazing. It is like a discount drug store version of Whole Foods. (Something tells me the TJ's marketing department wouldn't appreciate this description.) Good, healthy food for a fraction of the cost! Cheeses are a third of the price there - nice ones! (It's no secret cheese bin, you're right Dupont Dwellers.) And you can get amazing wines for $4. Don't trust a $4 wine? You've never shopped Trader Joe's.

And all the employees wear Hawaiian shirts! You definitely don't get that at other stores.

It's like a grocery wonderland. But they aren't perfect. Some things you just need to supplement at a Safeway, or Albertson's...or Whole Foods. But what you can get there is fantastic.

I used to work three blocks from a TJ's. I would go there for lunch or pop in after work for some last minute groceries. I would spend Sundays standing in a line that wrapped around the inside of the Foggy Bottom store just so I could have my TJ's soup for lunch the next week.

Now, the closest one is in New Mexico, which is infinitely sad. For once it would be cheaper to just hit a Whole Foods...ho hum.

4 comments:

  1. I think they also give benefits to part-time employees. There's at least two that I know of in the St. Louis area, including one next door to Dad's office. It is weird there aren't any dotting the Colorado landscape, especially considering CO's reputation as an outdoorsy/healthnut paradise.

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  2. I can't believe there isn't a Trader Joe's anywhere in the Front Range. It would definitely be profitable. And - it would be ONE MORE REASON for A. and I to make trips south...

    Blueberry jam sounds so yummy. I am going to grab my lunch - which isn't nearly so yummy. *sigh*

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  3. Welll.....Kimberly, when we come out that way, we'll have to bring along a sack of goodies, or ship a few, huh? I like Trader Joe's, too, and love their atmosphere. The employees are great, too. It's so much fun. Colorado needs one!!! I know Greg and Carla would love them. Keep working on the company to expand.

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  4. I just went to the new Harris Teeter in Columbia Heights (16th and Kalorama) and it is AMAZING. The entire time I was there yesterday I thought to myself, Kimmy would have loved this. Is it sad that a grocery store makes me think of you?

    AND there's a FREE parking garage!

    ReplyDelete

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